1) Field
This disclosure relates to a composition for measuring 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose (3,6-L-AHG) transferase activity, a method for measuring 3,6-L-AHG transferase activity and a composition and method for quantitative analysis of 3,6-L-AHG.
2) Description of the Related Art
With globally increasing concern about exhaustion of resources and pollution of the environment by overuse of fossil fuels, new and renewable substitute energy resources for stably and continuously producing energy are being considered. In the ongoing development of such substitute energy resources, a technique of producing alcohol from biomass is receiving considerable attention.
Today, first generation alcohols using saccharides such as sugar cane or starches such as corn are being produced. However, these saccharides face the problems of competition as food and livestock feed, and saturation of agricultural land. For these reasons, second generation alcohols using lignocellulose, which comes from wood, the most abundant, rich and renewable resource in the world, are being developed.
In recent times, development of alcohol production using algae is ongoing. Since algae have the advantages of rapid growth, ease of mass-culturing, and a high uptake level of carbon dioxide, algae are considered to be an appropriate and new energy source. Due to a lower density than lignin, algae are more easily saccharified than biomass used for first and second generation alcohols, and also can achieve large scale production. In addition, as relatively abundant marine resources can be utilized, there is great potential.
One of the algae, red algae biomass, is usually composed of agar. Agar is a polysaccharide, including repeating sets of D-galactose and 3,6-L-AHG bound by 1,3- or 1,4-linkages. Among these, 3,6-L-AHG is a rare sugar, not commonly used in fermentation processes, and its applications are thus limited.